Device for the continuous feeding of a machine with a strip unwound from successive reels

ABSTRACT

A device for feeding a machine with a strip unwound from successive reels of the type comprising at least one reel carrying shaft, means for maintaining at stand-by, close to the strip of the residual reel, the end of a new strip originating from the replacement reel, means for accelerating the new strip up to the moving speed of the residual strip, means for joining the residual strip to the leading end of the new strip, wherein the reel carrying shaft is provided to receive several reels and to bring in succession each reel in place of that which preceded it, the means for maintaining at stand-by the end of the new strip are provided to receive the end of the strips in the reels mounted on the reel carrying shaft and to cause said ends to advance in synchronism with the displacement of the corresponding reels, in the direction of the accelerating means and to transfer them in succession onto said accelerating means.

United States Patent [191 Gouy [ Dec. 24, 1974 DEVICE FOR THE CONTINUOUSFEEDING OF A MACHINE WITH A STRIP UNWOUND FROM SUCCESSIVE REELS [75]Inventor: Jean-Claude Gouy, Chaville, France [73] Assignee: ServiceDExploitation Industrielle Des Tabacs Et Des Allumettes, Paris, France221 Filed: Apr. 27, 1912 21 App1.No.: 247,945

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Primary Examiner-Donald E.Watkins Assistant ExaminerJohn M. Jillions [5 7 ABSTRACT A device forfeeding a machine with a strip unwound from successive reels of the typecomprising at least one reel carrying shaft, means for maintaining atstand-by, close to the strip of the residual reel, the end of a newstrip originating from the replacement reel, means for accelerating thenew strip up to the moving speed of the residual strip, means forjoining the residual strip to the leading end of the new strip, whereinthe reel carrying shaft is provided to receive several reels and tobring in succession each reel in place of that which preceded it, themeans for maintaining at stand-by the end of the new strip are providedto receive the end of the strips in the reels mounted on the reelcarrying shaft and to cause said ends to advance in synchronism with thedisplacement of the corresponding reels, in the direction of theaccelerating means and to transfer them in succession onto saidaccelerating means.

8 Claims 10 Drawing Figures DEVICE FOR THE CONTINUOUS FEEDING OF AMACI-HNE WITH A STRIP UNWOUND FROM SUCCESSIVE REELS This inventionrelates to a device for the continuous feeding of a machine with a stripunwound from successive reels such as paper reels.

In the tobacco industry, as regards the manufacture of cigarettes, thewrapping paper for the latter is unwound from a reel. When a reel isemptied, a new reel is set into place. This method of proceeding,because of the interruption of the cigarette making machine which itcauses, decreases production to a substantial extent.

Due to the increase in the hourly production of cigarette makingmachines, such a method could not easily be applied. Consequently, ithas been suggested to provide spare paper reels, i.e., two or threereels, and when a given reel is emptied, to automatically join thedriven end of the residual strip to the leading end of the spare strip.There is thus no interruption in production and, to obtain a new sparereel, the emptied reel is simply replaced with a new reel.

But the use of such a device is inherently limited by the use of highspeed machines and by the fact that efforts are made to reduce humanintervention to a minimum during the operation of these machines. Thuswhen using these manufacturing machines with two spare reels, it isnecessary to remove the emptied reel and to replace with a new reelapproximately every ten to twenty minutes. In order to reduce humanintervention to the minimum, it is therefore necessary to provide asufficient number of spare reels.

Such is the object of this invention which relates to a device forfeeding a machine with a strip unwound from successive reels, whichdevice is of the type comprising at least one reel carrying shaft, meansfor maintaining at stand-by the end of the strip of the replacementreel, means for accelerating the new strip up to the moving speed of theresidual strip, means for joining the driven end of the residual stripto the leading end of the new strip, which device is characterized, onthe one hand, by the fact that the reel carrying shaft is provided so asto receive several reels and to bring, in succession, each reel to theplace occupied by the preceding one, and on the other hand, by the factthat the means for maintaining at stand-by the end of a new strip areprovided so as to receive the end of the strips of the reels mounted onthe reel carrying shaft and to cause said ends to advance, insynchronism, with the displacement of the corresponding reels, in thedirection of the accelerating means and to transfer them in successiononto said accelerating means.

At least one reel carrying shaft can comprise a hollow drum mounted on astationary frame and provided on at least two rows with movable fingersspaced by the thickness of a reel and controlled, on the one hand, so asto move together in alternate translation, of said thickness, along theaxis of the drum in guide holes provided in said drum, and on the otherhand so as to move radially towards the inside of the drum at the end oftheir forward run and towards the outside of the drum at the end oftheir return run.

The following description illustrates such an embodiment, in whichdescription, which is not given by way of limitation, an example of anembodiment of the device according to the invention is shown in theappended drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is an overall diagrammatic view of the device;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the reel carrying shaft and of its support;

' FIG. 3 is a sectional view along its supporting axis of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view along line IVIV of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the reel carrier, along line VV of FIG. 6;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view along line VIVI of FIG. 5, with the reelsremoved;

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the operation of the motion reversingdevice;

FIG. 8 is a view to a larger scale of the zone, seen from the back, inwhich the cutting and junction means are located;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view along line IXIX of FIG. 8, and

FIG. 10 is a sectional view along line XX of FIG. 8.

As indicated in FIG. 1, a strip 101 unwound from a reel 102 located on areel carrier with axis 103, after having passed on two return rollers104 and 105, is driven towards a utilization station, not shown.

A second reel 3a is standing by on another reel carrier with a shaft 4.Strip 2a of this reel is resting on a suction drum 9, which rotatesaround its axis 10, comprising a mask 111 designed to prevent the strip,upon rotation of the drum, from winding itself around the latter.

The path of strip 101, between rollers 104 and 105, passes slightlyabove suction drum 9 and strip 20.

Above strip 101, and near the surface of drum 9, is located a junctionknurling roller 112 mounted loosely on its axis 113. Upstream of thisroller and above the plane of motion of strip 101, is fastened support114.

The axis of knife is located on the bisector of the angle formed by thetwo strips 101 and 2a, between the support 114 and drum 9. This knife115 moves in rotation, in the direction of arrow A, around an axis 116,blade 117 describing the path 118 which is tangent to drum 9 and to thesupport 114.

A feeler 119 is provided to detect the end of the unwinding of theresidual reel.

As indicated on FIGS. 8, 9 and 10, the knife 115 and the knurling rollerare mounted on a frame 120.

In this frame 120, is housed a guide rod 121, which moves along theframe in slideways under the action of a jack 122.

On this guide rod 121 is mounted a rack 123 which catches onto a pinion124 on which is mounted a free wheel 125. At the end of axis 126 ofpinion 124 is located a chain wheel 127 connected to a wheel 128 mountedon axis 116 of knife 115.

Close to and upstream of knife 115, is located a driving roller 129which can come in contact with strip 20 and, in its descending motionunder the action of a jack 130, it applies said strip onto the surfaceof drum 9.

On guide rod 121 is fastened a cam 131. On this cam, is located a smallroller 132 fastened to the end of an arm 133 hinged at its other end onan axis 134 housed in frame 120. A second arm 135 integral with arm 133carries, at its end, knurling roller 112.

Finally, a jack 136 is provided to draw away laterally wheel 128 androller 129 whose axes are mounted on one and the same arm 137.

As indicated in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, 1a, lb, 1i represent the ends ofstrips 2a, 2b 2i unwound from reels 3a, 3b 3i, located side by side onone and the same reel carrying shaft 4.

The ends of the strips lie on a slide which is movable under the actionof a jack 6, along a generatrix of support 7 which is fastened to aframe 8.

The reel carrying shaft 4 is provided, as indicated in FIGS. 5 and 6,with means designed to cause the reels to advance stepwise insynchronism with the motion of jack 6 so that each reel and its leadingend constantly remain in the same plane.

Support 7 is provided as a hollow drum whose end opposite that which isfastened to the frame is the suction drum 9 which can be driven intorotation by shaft 10.

On the stationary part of drum 7, are provided perforations 11 connectedto a suction circuit 12 which is also connected to perforations locatedon drum 9.

The movable slide 5 also comprises perforations 13 connected to asuction circuit 14.

The suction networks 12 and 14 are operated in turn by means of anelectrovalve 16. Jack 6 is also actuated by an electrovalve 17. Thepilots of the two electrovalves 16 and 17 are connected electrically toswitch 18. The latter has two positions x and y, which provides for thereversibility of the system.

As indicated in FIGS. 5 and 6, a reel carrying drum 201, with the shaft4, is fastened to a frame 202. On this drum 201, which is hollow, aremounted radially, cross bars 203, 204 and 205 which are movable in thelongitudinal guide holes 206, 207 and 208 provided in the drum alonggeneratrices distributed at 120. These cross bars carry fingers 209spaced from one another by the thickness of a reel. Between thesefingers are housed reels 3a, 3b 31'.

Cross bars 203, 204 and 205 are movable longitudinally on the drum,respectively in guide holes 206, 207 and 208 under the action of a jack211 located at the end of shaft 4 on which are wedged two cams 217 and218. The latter drive the cross bars by means of their shoulders 228.

A second jack 213, whose arm 214 is hinged on an axis 215, fastened inan eccentric manner on a disc 216, which constitutes a connectingrod-crank unit, drives shaft 4 into rotation on a given path. The baseof jack 213 is connected to frame 202 through an axis 229. Shaft 4 isintegral, in rotation, with disc 216 through a key 230 crossing shaft 4in a guide hole 231 whose length is such that the longitudinaldisplacement of 4 has no effect whatsoever on disc 216.

This rotational movement is imparted to the cross bars through cams 217and 218 keyed onto shaft 4. These cams comprise guide holes 219, 220,221 in which are housed pins 222, 223 and 224 of cross bars 203, 204 and205.

As shown in FIG. 7, jacks 211 and 213 are fed with air under pressurethrough line 225 by means of free piston distributors 226 and 227.

The distribution of air for the purpose of displacing each jack in onedirection or in the other is effected under the action of pulsesgenerated by circuits B, C, D and E, circuit B controlling the forwarddisplacement of shaft 4 and circuit C its return rearwards, circuit Dcontrolling the displacement of fingers 209 within the drum and circuitE their displacement towards the outside of the drum. As an example, thepulse along circuit B acts to displace the slide of distributor 226towards the left.

These circuits are connected through relays to a program which providessuitable pulses according to a set order.

If it is desired to advance the reels towards the free end of drum 201,and for example, remove them one by one from drum 201, i.e., in order tobring them one by one on a transfer means such as a reel carrying axis,not shown, which is movable between an end position of drum 201 and autilization station, the pulses are given in the following order, B, D,C and E, it being specified that the unit from 213 to 216 is provided sothat the intervening action of circuit D will cause the rotation of cams217 and 218 in the direction of arrow F (FIG. 6) and of circuit E in thereverse direction.

If new reels are to be loaded onto the drum, once the reels have beendischarged from it, the pulses are simply given in the following order,D, B, E and C, by inverting the relays two by two.

The device as a whole operates as follows.

At the start, ends la, 1i are arranged on drum 7, the surface of suctiondrum 9 being cleared and strip 101 unwinding from reel 102.

Suction circuit 12 is opened and the ends of the strips are maintainedon drum 7. Suction circuit 14 is closed.

, When end la is to be transferred onto drum 9, simultaneously, throughvalve 16 as shown, suction circuit 12 is closed and suction circuit 14is then opened. Ends 1a 11' of the strips are then maintained by slide5.

Jack 6 begins to act and displaces slide 5 towards drum 9. End 1a isthus placed on the surface of drum 9.

Suction circuit 14 is then closed and suction circuit 12 is opened. Jack6 returns slide 5 to its starting position. 7

End 1a is maintained in place, through suction on drum 9. End 1b,displaced as a result of the motion of slide 5 into the positionoccupied by 10 before its displacement, is maintained in it throughsuction acting through perforation 11. Similarly, each end of strip 1b1i, will again be in the position occupied by the preceding end.

The corresponding reels are displaced in synchronism as thisdisplacement of the ends of the strips is taking place.

Reel 3a is to be drawn out from drum 201 so as to bring it towards theutilization station, or, further, the mandrel is to be removed from theemptied reel 3a assuming the unwinding of this reel occurs on drum 201,the end of the latter, on which the reel is resting, being driven intorotation in this case, by any appropriate means.

For this purpose, jack 211 is actuated and causes shaft 4 to advance byone spacing, i.e., the thickness of a reel, towards the right end ofFIG. 5. Disc 216 remains stationary in position.

Shaft 4 being connected to cross bars 203, 204 and 205 through cams 217and 218, these move driving with them reels 3a, 3b 3i housed in thespaces formed by fingers 209.

Since the motion effected corresponds to the thickness of a reel, reel3a is then cleared of drum 201 and is taken up again by any appropriatemeans. Reel 3b then occupies the place previously occupied by reel 3a.

Jack 213 is then set into action, arm 214 moves upwards and, throughaxis 215, drives disc 216 into rotation, jack 213 moving into rotationaround axis 229. Disc 216, keyed onto shaft 4, drives the latter intorotation as well as cams 217 and 218 in the direction corresponding tothat of arrow F of FIG. 6. The rotation which is effected corresponds toan angle equal to that of the opening angle of guide holes 219, 220 and221. Pins 222, 223 and 224 are driven towards the center as well ascross bars 203, 204 and 205 and fingers 209 which are integral withthem. This motion acts to cause the cross bars to descend inside guideholes 206, 207 and 208 until the fingers have been moved away from thesurface of drum 201.

Jack 211 is then set into action in the opposite direction in order toreturn shaft 4 to its starting position. The cross bars are thusreturned backwards, and fingers 209 recover, on the surface of the drum,and

therefore without driving the reels, the positions which they occupiedpreviously.

Jack 213 is then actuated in the reverse direction in order to returndisc 216 to its original position. This rotation of disc 216 actuatesthat of shaft 4 and of cams 217 and 218 in a direction which is thereverse of that indicated by arrow F, the latters angle of rotationbeing equal to that over which they had previously rotated. Pins 222,223 and 224 move away from the center, causing cross bars 203, 204 and205 to rise up into guide holes 206, 207 and 208, which cross bars causefingers 209 to come out of drum 201, these fingers taking up their placeagain between the reels.

The device operates as follows:

When reel 102 is almost completely unwound, which is detected by feeler119, suction drum -9 is progressively set into motion, driving strip 2awith it. This can be obtained using a variable speed motor, relayed,through an electromagnetic connection, by the motor of the machinedriving strip 101.

Jack 130 is then set into action causing driving roller 129 to descendand press strip 2a onto drum 9, this operation being effected in orderto obtain a cut under the best conditions. When the moving speeds ofstrips 101 and 2a are equal, i.e., when the engagement has beencompleted, jack 122 is set into motion pushing the guide rod towards theleft (in the case of FIG. 8).

As guide rod 121 advances, rack 123, in meshing engagement with pinion124, causes knife 115 to pivot in the direction shown by arrow A bymeans of chain wheel 127 and wheel 128. The end of blade 117 comes closeenough to be tangent to strip 2a on drum 9 which forms an opposite partand sections it. That part of strip 2a, downstream of the sectioningpoint, is carried away by drum 9 and is eliminated.

That part of strip 2a, upstream of the sectioning point is maintainedthrough suction on drum 9 and advances forwards.

As guide rod 121 pursues its advance, the small roller 132, which wassupported by cam 131 falls from the latter. Arm 133 goes down and bypivoting around axis 134, arm 135, which carries knurling roller 112,goes down, pressing strip 101 onto strip 2a. Roller 112 is set intorotation around its axis 113 through friction against drum 9 and,through a series of knurling points, joins in a known manner the newstrip to the old one.

During this time, knife has continued its rotation and the end of itsblade 117 has come close enough to be tangent to strip 101 on thesupport 114 and has sectioned it. Strip 2a is now passing on returnroller 105.

Guide rod 121, in a forward thrust bearing, stops and jack 122 returnsit to its starting position. During this return stroke of the guide rod,knife 115 remains stationary, since pinion 124 is not set into motionclue to free wheel 125. During this stroke, small roller 132 recoverscam 131 and knurling roller 112 rises again.

Once the junction has taken place, jack simultaneously lifts up againdriving roller 129.

Reel 102 is then simply ejected and reel 3a is then passed instead ofthe latter. A new reel is then introduced at the place previouslyoccupied by reel 3a so that there may be a possibility for a newjunction.

In order for this transfer operation to be carried out, knife 115 anddriving roller 129 must be moved away from the path of strip 2a, whichis effected by actuating jack 136 which, upon its withdrawal motion,drives arm 137 on which are mounted the axes of knife 115 and drivingmeans 129.

It is of course possible, without departing from the scope of theinvention to provide two knives mounted on the same axis 116 whoserotation can be controlled by a rack comprising an inactive part betweentwo active parts. The axis does not have to be on the bisector of thedihedral angle, the knives then having different lengths so that theirperipheral velocities will be different so as to be adapted totangential cutting conditions.

Finally, when end 1i will have been transferred onto drum 9 and thecorresponding reel 3i will have been emptied, the resetting of thedevice into operation will simply comprise reversing the suctioncircuits, i.e., imparting of a sucking action to slide 5 during itsdisplacement in the direction of the frame and inactivation during thereverse displacement and arranging separately each end of the new stripboth from drum 9 and on the end of slide 5 when said end is plumb withdrum 9.

In normal operation, i.e., when the ends of the strips are displacedfrom slide 5 towards drum 9, switch 18 is at position X. The electricconnection is then such that when jack 6 displaces the slide towardsdrum 9, the suction occurs in circuit 14 and when the jack returns toits starting position, the suction occurs in circuit 12.

Similarly, in order to set the device into operation again when all theends have been transferred onto the suction drum, the switch isdisplaced to position Y. This results in inverting the operation of theelectrovalve 16; thus during the motion of the slide in the direction ofthe drum 9, the electrovalve puts circuit 12 into suction and during themotion in the direction of the frame, circuit 14 is operating.

Similarly, as mentioned previously, the modification of the sequence ofoperations, through a suitable switching of the circuits of FIG. 7,makes it possible to load drum 201 with reels. To this effect, at eachcycle, a reel is placed in the position represented by reel 3a until thedrum is filled.

What I claim is:

l. A device for feeding a machine with a feed strip unwound from a feedreel, comprising a drum member having a free end portion and adapted toreceive at least two refill reels on each of which is wound a refillstrip, means for moving successively each of said refill reels andbringing said reels successively at the end portion of said drum memberand at the place of the preceding reel, respectively, means forreceiving the free end of each of said refill strips and maintainingsaid ends at standby close to said feed strip, means for acceleratingone of said refill strips and making it move in synchronism with saidfeed strip, means for moving said ends in synchronism with said movementof said refill reels towards said accelerating means and transferringsaid ends successively onto said accelerating means, means for joiningsaid feed strip to the leading end of each said refill stripssuccessively, and means for cutting the leading end of said one refillstrip.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein said drum member is a hollowdrum provided with at least two longitudinal guiding holes, and saidmeans for moving each of said reels comprises a longitudinally movablefinger in each of said guiding holes, said fingers being spaced from oneanother a distance substantially equal to the thickness of said refillreels, means for moving said fingers in translation forwardly andrearwardly along said guiding holes, and means for moving said fingersradially inwardly inside said drum at the end of the forward translationand outwardly outside said drum at the end of the rearward translation.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein said means for receiving thefree ends of said refill strips and maintaining said ends at a standbycomprise a fixed support, a movable slide on said support, means formoving said movable slide in alternate motion between a first positionand a second position, means for retaining said free ends on saidmovable slide when said movable slide is moving from said first positionto said second position, and means for retaining said free ends on saidsupport when said movable slide is moving from said second position tosaid first position.

4. A device according to claim 3, wherein said retaining means aresuction means.

5. A device according to claim 3, wherein said support is a stationarycylindrical drum having a free end and there is provided a second drumrotatably mounted on said free end of said drum.

6. A device according to claim 1, wherein said feed reel, said refillreels, said accelerating means and said joining means are so arrangedthat said feed strip and said leading edge of said refill strip definean acute dihedral angle and said cutting means are arranged in saidangle upstream of said joining means with reference to the generaldirection of movement of said feed strip and said refill strip.

7. A device according to claim 6, wherein said cutting means comprise atleast one rotating knife having a cutting edge describing a cylindricalpath when said knife is rotated, means for rotating said knife, saidaccelerating means, said feed strip and said refill strip beingsubstantially tangent to said cylindrical path, a fixed support on theopposite side of said knife relative to said feed strip and acceleratingmeans on the opposite side of said knife relative to said refill strip.

8. A device according to claim 2 further comprising a shaft operativelyconnected with said means for moving said fingers in translation and bysaid means for moving said fingers radially, cams fixedly mounted onsaid shaft, and cross bars housed in said longitudinal guiding holes andoperatively connected with said cams, said fingers being mounted on saidcross bars.

1. A device for feeding a machine with a feed strip unwound from a feedreel, comprising a drum member having a free end portion and adapted toreceive at least two refill reels on each of which is wound a refillstrip, means for moving successively each of said refill reels andbringing said reels successively at the end portion of said drum memberand at the place of the preceding reel, respectively, means forreceiving the free end of each of said refill strips and maintainingsaid ends at standby close to said feed strip, means for acceleratingone of said refill strips and making it move in synchronism with saidfeed strip, means for moving said ends in synchronism with said movementof said refill reels towards said accelerating means and transferringsaid ends successively onto said accelerating means, means for joiningsaid feed strip to the leading end of each said refill stripssuccessively, and means for cutting the leading end of said one refillstrip.
 2. A device according to claim 1, wherein said drum member is ahollow drum provided with at least two longitudinal guiding holes, andsaid means for moving each of said reels comprises a longitudinallymovable finger in each of said guiding holes, said fingers being spacedfrom one another a distance substantially equal to the thickness of saidrefill reels, means for moving said fingers in translation forwardly andrearwardly along said guiding holes, and means for moving said fingersradially inwardly inside said drum at the end of the forward translationand outwardly outside said drum at the end of the rearward translation.3. A device according to claim 1, wherein said means for receiving thefree ends of said refill strips and maintaining said ends at a standbycomprise a fixed support, a movable slide on said support, means formoving said movable slide in alternate motion between a first positionand a second position, means for retaining said free ends on saidmovable slide when said movable slide is moving from said first positionto said second position, and means for retaining said free ends on saidsupport when said movable slide is moving from said second position tosaid first position.
 4. A device according to claim 3, wherein saidretaining means are suction means.
 5. A device according to claim 3,wherein said support is a stationary cylindrical drum having a free endand there is provided a second drum rotatably mounted on said free endof said drum.
 6. A device according to claim 1, wherein said feed reel,said refill reels, said accelerating means and said joining means are soarranged that said feed strip and said leading edge of said refill stripdefine an acute diHedral angle and said cutting means are arranged insaid angle upstream of said joining means with reference to the generaldirection of movement of said feed strip and said refill strip.
 7. Adevice according to claim 6, wherein said cutting means comprise atleast one rotating knife having a cutting edge describing a cylindricalpath when said knife is rotated, means for rotating said knife, saidaccelerating means, said feed strip and said refill strip beingsubstantially tangent to said cylindrical path, a fixed support on theopposite side of said knife relative to said feed strip and acceleratingmeans on the opposite side of said knife relative to said refill strip.8. A device according to claim 2 further comprising a shaft operativelyconnected with said means for moving said fingers in translation and bysaid means for moving said fingers radially, cams fixedly mounted onsaid shaft, and cross bars housed in said longitudinal guiding holes andoperatively connected with said cams, said fingers being mounted on saidcross bars.